Missing Everything
by Razzbairee
Summary: Leifang seems to have the perfect life. Lively friends & thoughtful parents. Surely happiness is what this young girl has grown to love & cherish. Until a friend ends up dead . . . DISCONTINUED
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own DOA!!!

This is in Leifang's POV. Enjoy! Now!

Chapter 1

It had been a long day, but it was fun! I had a break from college & the first thing I did was call Hitomi. And the next thing I knew, she was here in China. We stayed at my parents' house & she was amazed at my house. I told her I had money, but I guess she wasn't expecting me to be this rich. 

But anyway, in the afternoons, we shopped, at night, we went to clubs, & in the mornings, we woke up late. _Really_ late. Sometimes we would get to bug Jann Lee, but other nights, he would be working at some other clubs or he would have the day off. He told me he worked at different clubs. I didn't know why, but it didn't matter. 

Well anyway, we kept this up for weeks! She was even able to meet some of my friends from college & some of my neighbors. I missed my old neighborhood.

I didn't really consider Hitomi a friend until we truly met at Zack's island. We had a few long talks & after that, we were spiking balls! When it was time to leave that island, I thought I wouldn't see her again . . . But that's why they created telephones! As soon as I got back home to China I called her so many times, so many days, I thought she was getting tired of me. But she would still laugh at my cheesy jokes or make fun of me if I forget what I was about to say. But never had I invited her over to China until now. And I was glad I did! I never thought we would have things in common . . .

But enough about that. Like I was saying before, it had been a long day, but it was fun. It was the same as every other day: shop then party. But I didn't drink though, I knew better. But I couldn't say the same for Hitomi. She was so drunk I nearly had to carry down the sidewalk to the front door! And she wasn't exactly light, I'll tell you that.

"Leifang," she laughed as she said my name, "You're dragging my shoes. Ah . . . my shoe . . ."

I looked back & saw her blue shoe behind us. I decided to carry her to the porch then go back for the shoe.

_Gees, I'm carrying most of my weight!_

But I didn't have time to congratulate myself. I had to go back for that darn shoe . . . I wearily walked back down the sidewalk, bent over, then picked up the shoe. I sighed out of exhaustion then crawled back on the porch. I slapped her shoe in her hand & she nearly fell over. She thanked me & laughed a little. I fell back onto the porch. She was way _too _heavy for me!

"Whoa," Hitomi was trying to stand up, "My legs feel so numb."

Her legs wobbled & she nearly fell.

"Hey, don't stand up!" I told her as I sat up.

But it was too late. She fell into the front door & the bell & it rang. That bell could be heard throughout the whole mansion. Hitomi started to laugh at her little accident.

"Hitomi! You probably woke everybody up!" I said in a whisper.

But I started to laugh when my mother opened the door & Hitomi fell at her feet. The look on my mother's face was what shut me up. She said we were late, but I protested that we were grown women & didn't need curfews.

"You aren't grown till you're twenty-one!" she said when we were all in the house.

"Why twenty-one?!" I asked her.

"'Cause that's when you stop growing & become mature!"

"That's when I get to drink alcohol!"

"Exactly! Matter of fact, c'mere."

"Oh, come on, I know better!"

That's when she grabbed my jaw & I huffed in her face. It was becoming a daily routine.

"I don't smell anything . . ." said as she finally let go of my jaw, "But I can't say the same for your friend . . ."

We both looked in the living room. Hitomi was there, spread out across the couch, probably asleep & with her shoe in her hand.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I sat at my vanity table, brushing my hair that night. Hitomi was already asleep & in her skirt she wore to the club. The butler had to carry her all the way up the stairs & down the hall. I shared my room with her. Her bed was only a few feet from mine.

After I was done, I set my brush down & looked at my reflection. It was the time I usually recall what happened to me the whole day.

_Bought a couple of outfits & shoes . . . Oh & I bought a nice hat with a yellow ribbon! Met this guy . . . He wasn't exactly nice, but Hitomi took care of him. Sat in the park & swung on the swings . . . Then went back home & got ready to party. Wore one of my many favorite dresses . . . Hitomi didn't dance much like usual, a little embarrassed. Played a nice song that I never heard before . . . Really nice . . . Oh & Jann Lee was there . . . He was annoyed by us as usual. Then went back to watch Mei drink a whole gallon of booze . . ._

"Nice night as usual," I told myself as I got up to go to bed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Someone was shaking me, trying to wake me up. I opened my eyes to see my mother's dark figure over me. Her voice was frantic, but I was too tired to hear her clearly. I must have only slept for about an hour.

"Wha-what?" I asked her again.

But before she could answer, my father turned on the light. It was too bright & I squinted my eyes. It was giving me a headache. I looked over Hitomi who was still asleep.

"Leifang!" my mother got my attention, "Please listen!"

"I'm listening," I told her.

That was when she looked over at my father. They both had the same facial expression. I knew something was wrong.

"What is it?" I asked her, "What happened?"

_Is someone hurt?!_

"Tell me!" I nearly yelled.

"Well, sweetheart," my father started off as he sat on my bed with my mother.

_He called me sweetheart . . . Something's wrong . . ._

The maid & the butlers were standing in the doorway, watching us.

"Your friend, Jann Lee," my father continued to say, "Well, he . . . Something terrible happened to him . . ."

"Is he hurt?" I asked him, "Real bad?"

"He's beyond that. He . . . He . . . He's . . ."

He was trying to figure out the best way to say it.

_He's not hurt? He's beyond that? Is he . . .? He can't be . . . No, that's not what my father said, that's not what he's going to say. He must be badly injured._

"He what?" I asked him.

My voice was so quiet, I barely heard it. My heart was pounding, my eyes were wide open, I was starting to get hot as I waited for him to finish. There was no way Jann Lee could just . . .

_He's not . . . Not so soon . . . I was feeling so good today, why tell me now?!_

"He's gone," he finally said.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I lied there on my stomach with my eyes wide open. It was morning. My parents left me last night, but I didn't even notice them leave. My mother had offered me a hug, but I didn't want one. I wasn't sure if I had my eyes open the whole night or if I fell asleep then woke up. All I could think about was him. It was just yesterday that he was living & breathing, now he's not. It happened so quickly. I had to make sure I understood so I kept telling myself that he was gone. But I wanted to see him for myself. That thought gave me butterflies & I guess, no, I _knew_ I really didn't want to see him. Too terrified of what I might see. All my parents had told me was that someone murdered him in an alley. They didn't want to tell me how.

_Was it gruesome?_

I couldn't help, but wonder how he died. If it was quick & easy or if it was slow & painful. And almost like a reflex, I pictured him on the alley floor, moving about, trying to stay alive as long as possible, but can't even get up . . .

_Don't think like that!_

I cringed. I couldn't imagine it. Not to him, not to Jann Lee.

_You were invincible . . ._

Another thing I wondered was what he was thinking before he breathed his last breath.

_What was he thinking?_

"Leifang . . . Leifang, you don't know how many phone calls I've answered," it was Hitomi.

I had finally come out of my thoughts & I was staring at a painting of myself. I was really hot. My hair was all over my face, making me hotter than I already was. I was sweating & I could barely feel my arms & legs. My eyes had gone dry from not blinking. I blinked a couple of times to get them wet again. Then I tried to get up, but my neck hurt from having it turned for a long time. I was sitting up soon, brushing the hair out of my face to see Hitomi on her bed.

"You're finally out of your trance?" she asked me, almost a whisper.

She had been lying down, but sat up when I was up. She was in her PJs, which made me wonder what time it was. I asked her what time it was.

"It's only eight. Breakfast will be ready at nine instead of now," she told me, "Are you feeling well?"

"A little."

"Hey, I'm really sorry about, well . . . you know."

"It's okay, you didn't k- . . . him. Someone else did."

I wasn't able to say that word.

"He was a really nice guy . . . Nice fighter, too."

"Yeah . . ."

"Makes you wonder how he could lose, huh?" Hitomi covered her mouth as if she said something wrong.

But I didn't take it that way.

_Yes, it does . . ._

Then it was quiet. We sat there on our beds. There wasn't much to talk about then.

"Your friends had been calling you," she said, "Well, some of them, the ones that watched the news. I told them that you weren't feeling good so they wouldn't bother you."

What she said made me wonder about Jann Lee's friends & how they were taking the news. Jann Lee wasn't really a people person, but I knew he had friends. Maybe some of the other bouncers at the clubs. I didn't hang around Jann Lee much to know who were his friends.

"Some vacation, huh?" Hitomi said, breaking the silence. 

I looked up at her.

_Yeah . . .___

"Oh, I'm sorry, Leifang! It didn't mean to come out that way!" she slapped her forehead, "I'm still not over all the drinks I had . . . I'ma go downstairs."

She left me alone in my room, which gave me more time to think about him. But I didn't want to. I was too depressed & weary. I needed to take my mind off of him, just for a second so I could get things done.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Two days later . . .

I sat on his bed with my hands on my lap, looking out the window. The sun was setting. The whole room was orange. I squinted when the sunlight hit my face. That made me get up & continue my little tour around his apartment. I had to persuade the clerk to let me in Jann Lee's room. He told me I had a short time, because the government or someone was coming to take the belongings. I hoped that I would be able to keep some of his things just to remember him by. I already liked his bed sheets, which were black with golden vines roaming around them. And I liked his miniature statue of a red dragon on his hind legs. It was on the dresser. The dresser was tall, about up to my shoulders & it was made out of dark wood. I went over to it. There wasn't much on it except some paper & the figurine; there wasn't even dust. 

I shuffled the paper around until they were neatly stacked. It was the least I could do. Then I looked at them. They were listings of some clubs & the phone numbers. I looked at the next paper. Some phone numbers. Then the next one. It was a note with messy writing. So I read it:

__

You never listen, do you? I knew it would be useless to keep telling you. I just waste my breath everytime. But now I don't care anymore. You can do as you like from now on. But I'd be careful if I were you. He's been off-track lately & he could probably do something harsh again. Oh yeah, do you remember that drunk last night? You know, the one who thought you were a woman (that was funny)? Would you believe that guy's dead? No surprise there. He was a lowlife anyway. My relatives say I should get out of China, but I keep telling them that it's nothing like the movies. Sure there's trouble here, but not anything harsh. Okay, not often. Anyway, I'm getting off-track. I'll stop here. Take care. And you be careful next time. You better listen to me.

PS. Can you believe my sister's afraid of you? You're probably not surprised . . .

That was the end of it. There was no signature. 

__

Must be from one of Jann Lee's bouncer buddies . . .

I laughed to myself.

__

Bouncer buddies . . . If only Jann Lee could hear me say it . . .

I was getting sad again.

I looked over the note & remembered the part about some guy being off-track & how he could do something harsh. 

__

Could it have been . . .? No, no, no . . . Well, maybe . . .

I set it down, thinking that if Jann Lee were here right now, he would be angry that I was searching his apartment. 

The last piece of paper was a drawing of his face. I stared at it. It was so detailed. Everything fit perfectly. The spikes in his hair, his tweezed eyebrows, the small wrinkles in his lips, & his flat cheekbones. His head was turned, but his eyes were on me almost as if he was really there & looking at me. 

__

Lian can draw like this.

I _had _to keep it. I folded it up & slipped it into my skirt pocket. Then I looked down at the drawers. I opened the middle one. There were shirts inside. I recognized one of the shirts. It was the blue one with the yellow falcon on the back. I remembered telling him that I liked it & it looked nice on him. He just said thanks & never wore it again. That made me unhappy. I thought he didn't like me. But it all changed when he told me that my dress was nice. The dress I always wore to the tournaments, that is. I had gone a little overboard from his compliment & nearly screamed out if he really thought so. That was funny. Everyone had looked our way. But you shouldn't blame me. It was very rare that Jann Lee gave compliments.

I remembered fighting alongside him in the tournaments, winning most of our matches as if it were yesterday. Then he leaves me & I leave him, but we soon see each other to fight one another. 

__

Those were the days . . .

I had been determined to prove to him that I wasn't weak. I lost against him three times. I was always told not to give up, but I had lost interest in fighting him after the third tournament. Mostly everyone couldn't believe me. I couldn't believe _myself_. I was so determined to beat him, but then almost instantly, I stopped caring. 

"What's the point in chasing something that's too fast for me to catch or studying something that's too complex for me to understand?" I had asked myself after I lost against him for the third time.

I never stopped to think what Jann Lee thought about it. I actually thought he was relieved. I wouldn't terrorize him about it ever again. It was fun though. I remembered leaving messages on his answering machine, telling him that he was going down & that I would take what dignity he had left & eat for breakfast. Mess like that. I probably left thirty messages on his answering machine each day just before the second tournament. Then I stopped doing it after I lost against him for the second time. It didn't affect Jann Lee. He actually found it funny & he told me so.

__

It's too hard to believe he's gone . . . There won't be moments like that again.

I could remember meeting him for the first time. He supposedly saved my life, but I didn't need his help. I had finally mastered Tai Chi & I wanted to try it out, but some guy had got to the hoodlums first. He had some nerve calling me weak . . . 

I thought his name was Gi at first, but soon found out it wasn't. I also found out he lived in an orphanage since he was young, but soon moved out. I guess you could say I was determined to find out who he was.

I shut the drawer back, thinking it would be best not to search them. His place was making me depressed, but I wanted to be there. After all, I was only in his apartment once, but that was against his will.

There wasn't much in his room. Just his bed, dresser, closet, window, lamp, bathroom, & doorway to his living room. I had already looked through there. Nothing much, but a TV set, some DVDs, couch, which was really soft, some paintings, a coffee table, & the kitchen. There wasn't much food in the cabinets, but there was tons of food in the refrigerator. The stove was clean as if it has never been used.

__

I always knew Jann Lee wasn't the cooking type.

There was_ someone_ bringing him food though. I saw a note on top of a glass container in the refrigerator. It was from a girl. She must have known him since he was in the orphanage, because she wrote stuff about how she kept telling him to stop eating cold food or something & that she needed to go over there sometime & teach him how to cook.

I walked towards the doorway to the living room & stopped to listen. There were people coming down the hallway.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_Are they here?_

I heard keys rattling around then the door opened. 

_Uh oh!_

If they found me in Jann Lee's apartment then I would be in trouble. So I hid behind the doorway then thought that that wasn't the best place to hide so I climbed under the bed instead.

_The dragon!_

I saw the little figurine on the dresser & knew if that were them then they would take it. I quickly crawled from under the bed, nearly hurting my leg in the process, grabbed the dragon, & just when I was about to get back under the bed, there they were. They had blue uniforms with "State Government" on the back. The clerk was there, too. He must have showed them the way. And there was another man, really tall, in a black suit.

He looked at me & I looked at him. That was when the clerk got nervous.

"Who's this?" the man in the suit asked the clerk, "You never told me someone was living here with him."

"She doesn't live here, sir," the clerk said back.

". . . Then who is she? And how did she get in here?"

_Oh, gees, I'm in trouble._

I just stood there with the figurine behind my back. The other people in the blue uniforms were already taking some of his stuff away.

"She's a friend of his & she wanted to look around before you take the stuff," the clerk said.

That's when the man looked at me. I grinned, 'cause I knew what he was thinking. He was thinking that I lied to the clerk & I was here to steal from his apartment.

"Search her," he told a man in uniform.

_What?!_

The man started patting all over me then he found the figurine. He took it & handed to the man in the suit.

"What's this?" he asked me.

That's when I threw myself on his chest & pleaded, "Can I keep it? Please!"

"Sorry, it's not in his will."

"What?!"

"He doesn't have a will saying who keeps what so I can't let you have this."

"He doesn't? . . . Well, it's just one little figurine! Why can't I?!"

"You think he would like for you to keep it?"

"Of coarse, he would! I'm his friend! And his partner in the tournaments, yeah, he would!"

". . . Tournaments?"

"Yeah, what we do best is fight."

". . ."

"C'mon! Please! All you have to do is put it in my hand."

"Sorry, I can't."

"Ugh!"

I let go of him & looked around at all the people taking away the stuff. 

"Where is all this stuff going to anyway?" I asked him.

"An auction," he answered me, "If you really want this figurine then you'll have to get it back there. It'll be held at noon three days from now at the Corner Plaza."

He then looked at me like I had something on my face.

"What?" I asked him, "What is it?!"

"Are you Tao's daughter?"

". . . Yes."

"Then I guess you'll have no problem getting this expensive thing back, right?"

"Yeah, I guess . . ."

I wasn't in the mood to go to an auction & I was pretty sure I still wouldn't be three days from then either.

I turned to look at the bedroom. They were taking his bed apart & the sheets were folded up near the window.

"Hey, can I keep the bedspread?" I asked the man in the suit, tapping him on the shoulder.

He had handed the figurine off to one of the people in uniform then turned to me like I asked something stupid.

"You guys don't take keep anything soiled, right?" I asked him again.

"No & I don't see why you would either," he said.

"Fine, I'll take that then."

". . . Help yourself."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Leifang, sometimes I worry about you . . ."

I had been sniffing his sheets a little too long & Hitomi stared at me the whole time. She didn't understand. No one has died on her so she didn't know how soothing it felt to smell his scent again. It was like he was actually there . . .

"You're going to the auction, right?" she asked me, taking the sheets from my face, "Leifang, you don't know what he's been doing on these . . ."

"It doesn't matter," I said back, setting them aside, "And, yeah, I have to if I want that dragon."

Hitomi sat on the couch next to her bed & I sat on my bed.

"When're you gonna talk to your friends again?," she asked me, "They've been calling since you left this afternoon."

"I dunno," I said, looking down at my hands, "I guess I should invite some people to the auction with me, huh?"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Are they gone?" I asked Hitomi.

"Yeah."

I looked back to see nothing. We were in an alleyway. The auction didn't go as expected. We were sitting there, me, Hitomi, Han, & Mei in the auction. There were all sorts of stuff being sold. I wanted to place a bid for them, but realized why I came. Not for those things. 

Hitomi kept tapping me & pointing at some of the people who were going hysterical over getting the highest price. It was kind of exciting, watching them argue back & forth & people jumping up & down & some cheering when they 'win' or whatever. 

Han pointed at a man sitting to the other side. He was saying that he barely moved the whole time & I said he must have been waiting for something _good_ to show up. And well, that something good was the dragon figurine of Jann Lee's. The man was the first to place a bid then some of the people. I quickly followed them. The guy at the podium could barely see me & hear me. I had to scream to tell him. Some more people placed bids until the man placed the highest. Then nobody placed anymore. So I did. I couldn't let him win, right?

"It just a stupid statue, let it go," Mei had told me.

But I ignored her & kept placing bids. Soon we were placing bids back & forth, me & that man. The price was getting higher, the guy at the podium was getting ecstatic, some of the other people were gasping & all because neither one of us would stop placing bids. 

_Why did he want it so bad?_

It went on for about three minutes until I knew I was at a very, very high price. That's when the man finally sat back down. I did, too & listened as the guy at the podium finally said sold.

"That man's mad at you," Hitomi whispered to me, pointing at him.

He was. He was staring me down & then I knew I made a mistake. I had spent most of my parents' money, not mine on the stupid figurine. It wasn't like they wouldn't notice it. Of coarse they would! And another thing, I got on that man's bad side! I didn't who he was or why he was so angry with me for taking the dragon from him. Bad karma . . .

And yeah, he tried to take it back. Well, I thought it was him in that car. He had chased us, Hitomi & me, in a black car when we were in the parking lot & I had the dragon in my hands. Mei & Han had got to safety by hopping a fence. I was too far ahead to notice the many ways I could have gotten away. I was just running. Hitomi didn't leave me behind to run for my life. She stayed behind me then pulled me in different directions. I had to follow her when she got ahead of me. I wasn't ready when she climbed over a tall fence to a No Trespassing area. I ran into the fence & fell down. I didn't let go of the dragon though. I had to climb the fence with it in my arms.

"Drop it!" Hitomi was screaming at me, "It's not _worth it_!"

I didn't listen to her. I didn't know if I really wanted it 'cause it was pretty & it was Jann Lee's or if I thought there was some kind of conspiracy going on & well, you get the idea, right?

I knew one thing though. I was afraid. I could have been killed by this man!

So we were safe. Thanks to Hitomi. I was too afraid to get away myself.

"Leifang, that was _stupid_!" I could tell she was _really_ angry.

I didn't blame her. I could have gotten both of us killed a few minutes ago.

"All that for this!" 

She was pointing at the dragon I held in my right hand. I was bent over, gasping for air. I ran fast & long. I finally straightened up.

"Hitomi," I started to explain myself, "he wanted this! Don't you understand?"

_It's like that one movie I watched with Jann Lee before he kicked me out._

Hitomi said, "You should have given it to him. No, better yet, you should not have competed with him!"

"Hitomi, it's like a movie I watched with Jann Lee once," I was holding the dragon tight, looking at the ground, remembering the movie, "There was a secret to the car at the auction. The bad guy wanted it, but so did the good guy. The good guy won it, opened the compartment in the car & found diamonds . . ."

I looked up at Hitomi to make sure she understood. She said it was just a movie, but before I could object, she then said that despite that, it _could_ happen. We both looked down at the dragon.

_Could it-?_

"Break it open!"

I looked over at Hitomi. She was shaking with excitement.

"No!" I said, holding the dragon safe from her.

"We're never gonna know why it's so important if we don't!"

"But . . . It was Jann Lee's . . ."

I couldn't do it. It was a remembrance of him. I couldn't destroy it. What if there was nothing inside? I would have done it for nothing. I paid a lot of money for it, too. And the money wasn't mine.

"If there was something good inside, wouldn't you think he would _want_ you to crack it open?!"

Hitomi was getting persuasive.

I just said back in a whisper, "Who knows? Maybe he wouldn't want me to for my safety."

"For your safety?" she gave me an odd look, "It's too late for that now, don't you think? Besides, you're a big girl, you can take care of yourself. Prove it to him since he always denied it."

She was right. 

I looked down at the dragon in my hands. Diamonds or small things _could_ fit inside of it. I would hate to do it. It was so pretty. It felt like it was made of glass. It was sort of heavy & sort of shiny. Tapping it too hard could probably crack it then it would break into tiny pieces. 

_Wouldn't be able to put it together again . . ._

"Just break it in half," Hitomi suggested, "We can definitely fix it back if nothing's in it."

_You better hope so . . ._

"Well, okay."

As I placed the side of it above my knee, I knew Hitomi was grinning from ear to ear. Like I said before, she didn't understand. She didn't know how much it meant to me. Jann Lee wasn't much of a friend like I wanted him to be.

"Leifang, I'm busy," he had said when I came to visit one day.

He was annoyed, shut the door in my face.

_Yeah, well, that's Jann Lee for ya . . ._

I was surprised that after the first tournament, I felt like I knew him all too well.

"What're you waiting for?" Hitomi asked me.

I was stepping on a box in the alley with one foot. I lifted the dragon in the air above my knee then I brought it down. I closed my eyes, thinking that it would shatter to pieces. I felt it hit my knee, but that was it. No clash. I opened my eyes & looked down. It was still intact.

_This thing is stronger than I thought._

"Boy, Leifang, that was weak," Hitomi said.

Didn't seem like she was annoyed.

"Try harder," she told me.

"But then it'll shatter," I said.

"We have to get it open!"

"All right!"

After about three more tries, it finally broke. Broke a little more than what I wanted. Shattered to be correct.

_No . . ._

What I found inside made me want to scream. I held my face in my hands to make sure I didn't. There was _nothing_ inside.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Think it'll rain tonight?"

I was sitting on the bench, holding my knees up to my chin. I got tired of that position & put one leg down.

"You can tell by the wind . . . but I'm not sure."

Jann Lee was talking about the weather. It was suppose to rain that day, but it didn't. It was windy. The air was heavy & moist. And the sky was dark grey, making it seem as if it was late. It had been that way the whole day. It was the perfect day to rain, but it didn't. There wasn't even a storm nearby, nothing.

"It's gonna rain tonight . . ."

He had on a windbreaker suit. All I had on were some shorts & a long T. It was too hot for me to put a jacket on. Besides the wind was soothing. I had let my hair out to flutter in the wind & cool my scalp.

"It'll rain tonight & throughout the rest of tomorrow . . . Everyone's gonna stay inside & the clubs'll probably be closed, too."

He was standing near the pond with his back to me. But I already knew his expression: that same thoughtful look he always has, mostly after a fight.

He was now crouching to pick something out of the water. I never went near that pond. It was dirty & it sort of reeked as if it came from the sewers.

"That water's infected," I told him, smirking, "It came from the sewers."

"Is that so?" he was looking at me with the same smirk on his face, "Let's check to make sure."

He used that thing he picked up out of the pond to splash some water on me.

"Jann Lee!" I nearly screamed, putting my legs up so he would miss.

He was laughing at me now, "Typical woman! Afraid to get dirty!"

"Why should I get dirty when I don't _have_ to?!"

"Whatever . . ."

He stood up, dropped that thing back in the pond, & then wiped his hands together to get rid of the dirt.

"That's what you get," I said, "What _was_ that thing anyway?"

"I dunno . . ."

"And you just touched it . . ."

He looked back at me with a frown on his face. I ignored his glare & looked around me to see if anyone else was out. There weren't many people. Just some workers walking outside their stores then going in & about ten more people walking around. Each one of them wearing coats or jackets.

_Am I the only one?_

Behind me was a woman wearing a coat & pushing a stroller around. She looked about my age & she looked frustrated. The stroller bumped into a crack in the sidewalk. She pushed the stroller as hard as she could, not even bothering to go around until the stroller was over it & she was walking with it again. I saw a little girl's head pop up out of the stroller & look back at the woman. The woman just pushed her back in her seat & kept walking.

_Some people just don't care, do they?_

I thought I heard Jann Lee say something to me, but I ignored it & asked him if he was going to have kids in the future. I looked back at him & he was standing there, looking down at the ground, fiddling with his hands. I knew it wasn't the best thing to ask him. I don't even know if he ever had a girlfriend . . . But I wanted to know. Basically if he was going to settle down soon. 

I said his name so he would respond, but all he said was maybe. Then he left.

"Where ya goin'?" I asked him, standing up.

"I said I was leaving," he said as he kept on walking.

_'Oh, I've spent too much time with Leifang & she's trying to dig into my head. I think I'll leave now.' Is he ashamed or something?_

I sighed & sat back down.

_You're human, Jann Lee, you get lonely just like everyone else. It's nothing to be ashamed of._

That man was hard to talk to.

I lied down on the bench with my arms behind my head. I looked up at the sky.

_Rain, rain . . ._

It was a weird day. No rain even though it was meant to rain. It was as though the sky was holding back its tears, not wanting anyone to see it cry even though it was so evident. Maybe it was too big to cry. A big mass who is too stubborn to cry, afraid that people might underestimate it. The sky is powerful. It can produce massive storms if it wanted to.

_Like Jann Lee . . ._

That man likes to hide stuff. But it'll catch up to him sooner or later. The sky can't hold back its tears forever & Jann lee can't hide his feelings forever either.

I had my eyes closed when I felt little drops of water on my face. Then I felt it on my legs.

_Is it raining?_

I opened my eyes only to have drops of water pour all over my face. I sat up & stretched my arms to the sky, taking in all the rain the sky could give me. It felt as if the sky was massaging me, cooling me down at the same time.

_You finally opened up, you big lug . . ._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Leifang! . . . Leifang!"

I tried to get whoever it was shaking me away then shook my head to get back in reality.

"Don't tell me you fell asleep sitting up . . ."

I blinked to take in Hitomi's face in front of me.

"You were sitting there, staring at the wall . . . Are you okay?"

_I was staring at the wall? . . . I could have sworn I was at the park . . . Maybe I was daydreaming . . ._

I took a quick look around me. I was in the music room, sitting on a stool next to a harp.

"I was daydreaming, sorry," I said to her.

"Are you sure about that? It took me a whole minute to get you back."

" . . . Oh."

I didn't know what happened to me. I must have fallen asleep sitting up.

"Oh, I forgot why I came here! Leifang, the police are here to see you!"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

It was dark where I was, with only a light bulb hanging from the ceiling as light. I was alone with _them_. They were circling around me.

_What're they doing?_

Their job was to ask me a few questions that I would answer then I would be on my way. I was waiting for that, just twirling my thumbs around each other atop of the table.

_Are they doing it to scare me? . . . How unprofessional . . ._

I gasped when one of them instantly swung the chair in front of me around & sat in it. It was the skinny one. He was looking at me as if I committed a sin.

_I didn't kill anyone._

"Leifang, you & Jann Lee were close friends right?" he asked me.

"We were friends, but not close. We were partners in the tournaments. That's all. I _tried_ being his friend," I told him in utter truth, looking at him & where I thought his partner was.

"Why was it so difficult to be his friend?"

"He was . . ."

I tried to think of the best way to put it.

"secretive . . ."

_Oh, great, now they're gonna ask you more questions!_

"Why?" he asked me, tapping his nose with his pen.

"Because he's a guy & guys tend to not show emotions, because they don't wanna get soft. Is that simple enough for you?"

I laid out & said it all. I had nothing to hide, because I knew I didn't murder him. Besides they weren't very good detectives. Pacing around me to scare me. That's the same as accusing someone. They must have watched too many movies . . .

"Hmm . . . When was the last time you saw him?" he asked once again.

"That night about five days ago, I think, Monday . . . Why does that matter?"

"What time was it?"

". . . Um, well, I left the club with my friends at around one so I think I last saw him at around twelve twenty . . .?"

"Did you talk to him?"

"I said the usual 'Hi!' & running up to hug him, me & Hitomi. And he said 'Y'all here again? Don't you ever get tired of this?' & I said . . . Well, we both said 'Nope! We come everyday to see you!' just to get on his nerves. And well, he said that he was tired of all this then said he had to take care of some things & left us. Because, you know, if he had stayed then we would torture him . . . Because he's fun like that . . ."

". . . Secretive & fun, I see."

_Oh, boy . . ._

"No, fun as in fun to mess with. Get on his nerves sometimes . . . It's a girl thing, you wouldn't know . . ."

_You're too old to know._

The detective just looked at me like I was stupid. He froze then set his pen down.

_Am I done yet? This isn't exactly fun . . ._

The other detective that was lurking around in the darkness finally stepped into the light to whisper something in his ear.

_What's this here?_

"Oh, right, I almost forgot," he spoke as soon as he was done listening, "You said you were chased by a black car & that the man who you thought was driving the car or so was the same man from the auction you went to earlier today. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Describe the man."

_Describe the man . . ._

I tried my best to remember what he looked like. He was sitting far from me in the auction.

"He seemed old. Like forty close to fifty. He was sorta chubby unless that was muscle, because he was wearing a crimson suit so it was hard to tell. He had his hair combed back & it was wet-like. And he was very stern-like chin & um . . . a big forehead . . ."

The detective looked like he was about to laugh. Yeah, so it was kinda funny by the way I said it.

"Well, he did," I continued to say, "There were lines in it, too. And he had little dents in his cheeks. Probably from being old & um . . ."

_What else can I say?_

"Fair height . . . About six foot . . . Black eyes, I think. I can't tell you for sure."

"That's okay. And he supposedly chased you & tried to kill you over a little dragon thing, right?"

_Dragon thing?___

I looked at him & his partner that was standing a little in the light. Neither of them had taken notes on my description.

_Well, if they decided not to . . ._

"Uh . . . yes. I was competing with him over it for awhile. He just wouldn't give up."

"And you didn't want to give it up either, because it was the artifact of your beloved Jann Lee, am I right?"

_Beloved?___

"I wanted to be Jann Lee's friend & um . . ."

_I wanted to be Jann Lee's friend . . ._

"What's that you were gonna say?" the detective asked me.

He was messing around with his pen again, not even looking at me.

_Have you no emotion?!_

He didn't care what I said, as long as he got the answers he wanted. He didn't care that I was about to break down & cry right at that moment.

_Don't cry, don't cry . . ._

I buried my face in my hands. I realized I missed him a little more than I thought I did. He was just my partner in the tournaments & my victim at the clubs. And sometimes the person I would think about in my spare time. I wanted to be his friend. Someone he wouldn't mind talking to sometimes, someone he would listen to, even someone he wouldn't mind hugging every once in a while, appreciating the fact that that someone would stay by his side forever. He needed someone like that. He was always alone most of the time.

And why would I want all those things? I didn't know. Maybe I was overly obsessed with his behavior. His stubbornness. Maybe his appearance & how he presented himself. Or maybe I just thought the best for him: a friend. If I had realized this sooner then maybe I would have told him what I felt. And maybe he wouldn't have mind. Maybe . . .

"It's all right. You don't have to continue," I heard the detective say through my sobs.

I was crying . . . Finally crying after five days mourning his death. And all because I realized I wanted to be his friend, but never got the chance.

_No, I had the chance, but never took it._

My hands were wet from my tears & so was the table under me. I couldn't move. All I could do was cry.

_Those detectives made you cry . . ._

I felt hands on my shoulder & heard a whisper in my ear. It said that everything was going to be all right & that I could leave now. I did.

As the detective walked me down the hall, I looked ahead of me to see what I thought were my parents & Hitomi. I could barely see. My vision was so blurry from my tears. And everything seemed to move so slowly. I could even hear my heart beating. Pounding into my ears, blocking my hearing. Someone was squeezing me & I wept into their shoulder.

That was when I made a promise to myself.

_I'll find out._


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Thank you," I said to the cab driver as I handed him the money.

I waited for Hitomi to get out, before I did. When we were out, the cab slowly drove away. We stood on the sidewalk in front of Lian's town house. We were going to ask him about the drawing I found in Jann Lee's apartment. Lian was in an artists club. A place where artists go to share their affection towards art. So hopefully he would be able to give us some information on _who_ drew the picture.

Why am I getting involved in this, you may ask? Well, the police wouldn't tell me their progress in solving the case. Those detectives were being jerks when I asked them about it. But I was able to get one piece of information: Jann Lee was shot right in his heart with a pistol in the alley on the corner of Jiao street. It was the street not so far away from the club we were at Monday night. I couldn't believe it when they told me. My parents were angry with the detectives, because they didn't want me to find out. I kept telling my parents that I needed to find out, because Jann Lee was my friend whether he thought of me as one or not.

Hitomi & I went to that alley. I didn't want to go in. It had an eerie feel to it. As if he was still there; his soul trapped in the alley walls for some reason. Then I saw him. Laying there on his back. Not moving at all. Still wearing his white tuxedo with a stain of blood near his heart.

I had screamed & cried when I saw him. Hitomi was trying to calm me down, but she didn't see what I saw: the pain & sorrow of a life gone forever. I didn't want to cry, but it was something I had no control over. I had cried for almost an hour. I couldn't get him out of my mind & it tore me apart everytime I breathed. My parents didn't want this. That was why they didn't want me to find out.

So I decided to figure it out on my own. Along with Hitomi, of coarse. Two heads are better than one. Besides I had something that could help: the drawing. I had forgotten all about it until Hitomi found it & asked me if I drew it.

"No, no!"

I had tired to ring the doorbell, but Hitomi, being as playful as she is, smacked my hand away & rang the doorbell herself. She grinned at me when she did.

Our heads turned from each other & towards the door when we heard it open. It was Lian's father. He was one scary man. When he was young, he was very strong & brawny. But now he had a gut & a bald spot. He still held arms though & that oh-so familiar angry look on his face. I didn't like him & he didn't like me. Why he didn't like me, I didn't know, but I disliked him for the way he treated his family. At times when I was over Lian's house, I could hear him arguing with his wife downstairs. That was when I had to leave.

"Is Lian home?" Hitomi asked.

I would have asked with her, but I was too busy giving Lian's dad glares. And he was giving them back.

"Just a minute," he left the doorway, "Lian, your girlfriend's at the door!"

I _hated _it when he called me his girlfriend just because I hang around him.

"You never told me you were going out with Lian!" Hitomi said, shocked at the lie.

"I'm not," I replied.

"Oh."

After a few seconds, Lian showed up at the doorway. When he saw us, he put a big smile on his face.

"Lian, real quick question," I said before he could greet us.

"Uh, okay."

"Do you know anyone who might have drawn this?" Me & Hitomi both asked him while I showed him the drawing of Jann Lee.

Lian tilted his head to the side, his usual thinking look, often when I watch him draw.

"It looks like something you could draw," I told him to help him out a little.

"Well, I-"

"C'mon, Lian, think!" Hitomi said.

"What? Why is this so important?"

"Classified information."

"What?"

"Hitomi, stop. This isn't a joke," I said to her.

"Sorry," she said back.

She was in the mood to play, but I wasn't. All I was thinking about was finding out who drew the darn picture.

Lian looked at us, obviously confused, "That's Jann Lee, right? Who would want to draw a picture of _him_?"

Me & Hitomi looked at each other.

"That's what we're trying to find out!" we said in unison.

"Uh, well," he was rubbing his chin, "That looks like the crescent moon technique."

Hitomi & I looked at each other, confused. We've never heard of it before.

"What is that?" we asked him.

"It's a technique noobs use to draw faces. There's only three people in the club that are considered noobs. You can consult them if you want."

"Who are they?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As soon as we were at the girl's house, we went up to the porch. She was the last one we were going to see. One of them wasn't home & the other one wasn't really into drawing. He said he wasn't good at it & didn't know how to use the crescent moon technique.

So there we were. On Bi Shetian's porch. I got to ring the doorbell this time, but there wasn't one. So I knocked on the door instead. A little kid answered the door. A boy about ten years old with a little video game in his hand.

"What do you want?"

_What do we want? Some greeting . . ._

I assumed Hitomi was going to talk for me, but she gestured for me to do the explaining for once.

"We came to see Bi. Is she here?"

He gave us a look, probably wondering what we would want with Bi.

"She's not back yet. But you can wait here until she comes back."

He walked off down the hallway leading from the doorway.

_This kid is actually letting us in . . ._

I looked at Hitomi. She shrugged then walked inside. I followed after her, closing the door on my way in.

The house was dark. All the windows were curtained. No lights were on. It seemed like a shabby place with no light & dark furniture with white walls covered in picture frames. There were little figurines all over the place. Mostly little dolls. And in the darkness, you could plainly see the white of the eyes. Now that was creepy.

And the house had an odd smell to it & it was sort of hot. The heat made it feel as if small creatures were crawling around my skin so I kept rubbing my arms. And it was hard to tell what was causing the smell. But it smelt like sweat & cigarettes.

And the kid seemed to be by himself. He led us to the living room where we sat on the couch. It was warm as if someone had been there & it was sort of furry. Hitomi looked at me as she sat straight up, tapping her hands on her thighs. She was uncomfortable, I could tell.

"Why did we walk in this house? It stinks. It's scary. This kid is weird."

Even though she didn't say it, it was so obvious.

I turned to where the kid went when he turned on the light. He was at the kitchen doorway.

"Do you want something to drink?"

"No, we're fine," Hitomi answered for the both of us.

I looked around the room. It wasn't all that scary with the lights on. At least the dolls weren't. It was a little peaceful now.

The kid stared at us for a while, ". . . What do you two want with my sister?"

_Is he questioning us like we're criminals? Should I tell him anyway? Maybe we won't have to wait for her to get back._

"We want to know if she drew this," I told him, showing him the drawing.

He walked up to me to get a closer look. By the look on his face, he must have recognized it.

"I drew that."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

I saw Hitomi look at me from the corner of my eyes, asking the same question I was asking the boy in my head.

"He drew this . . .?"

"You did?" I asked him & he nodded.

I couldn't help, but feel relieved that we were going to get our answers quick & smile at the fact that this _boy_ drew this picture of Jann Lee. But the question is why?

"Why are you asking? Am I finally being acknowledged for my skill?" the boy asked, getting a little cocky, "How did you get a hold of it anyway?"

"Why did you draw this?" I ignored his questions, because I was too caught up in my own affair.

"Um . . . well . . ." he started to speak, scratching his head, "My sister, Bi, wanted me to. For her. To give to that . . . _guy_."

"Jann Lee?" Hitomi & I asked.

But before we could answer, there was a loud bang, the sound of the door meeting the wall. The boy quickly rushed to the front door to see who it was.

_Who is that?_

Hitomi had gone off to see, but I stayed put & was about to tell Hitomi to do the same thing. But she was already gone. I was afraid it would be that man again. Trying to kill me for reasons that I didn't know. It was too similar to a typical action movie.

I heard a girl the sound of someone falling to the floor. I ran to the front door only to find Hitomi firmly up against the wall somewhat frightened & looking down at someone on the floor. It was a girl. Face-first on the floor. The boy was kneeing down beside her.

_What's going on? Is she okay?_

"Don't tell me you did it again . . ." I heard him whisper to the girl.

"Is she okay?" I asked the boy.

He nodded, rolling his eyes, too.

_Is that Bi?_

"C'mon, Bi, stand up. I'm not carrying you all the way," the boy said to Bi, obviously, while throwing her arm over his shoulder.

He started carrying the girl over to the living room. She was limp & hanging off his shoulder. I just watched as her feet dragged across the floor, leaving a wet streak behind on the floor. She was wet all over. Her blue jeans & jacket were soaked. And she couldn't be any taller than me.

"I'm sorry, but my sister's a nut. Maybe you should come back tomorrow," the boy said when he came back.

"Who is that?!" Bi shouted from the living room.

"They're . . . um . . ."

"I'm Leifang. And this is my friend, Hitomi," I said, entering the living room with Hitomi behind me.

She was sitting on the couch & I could see her face now. She had dark, long, & wavy hair & green eyes. My first interpretation was that she wasn't Chinese. Or she could have had _some_ Chinese in her . . . And she was staring at us.

_Need I say more?_

"We've just wanted to ask you a few questions," Hitomi said before I could say anything.

"What're are you? The FBI?" she said, sounding rude.

"We're not the FBI . . . My friend has died. You know him . . . I'm Leifang. I was his fighting partner."

I didn't want to sound as if I were speaking to a child, but it somehow came out that way. She was giving me a sort of annoyed look now, but it turned gloomy in an instant.

"He saved me. It was funny though. He didn't seem like the type that would save someone," she began to speak.

_From lowlifes?_

Me & Hitomi were sitting on the floor in front of her as if she was telling us a story. Maybe she was, because I haven't even asked my questions. Her brother had sat down beside her.

"I don't know how to swim. And I fell into the river that night. Don't ask how, because I barely remember how it all happened. But he was there & jumped into the river in a nice suit _just_ to save me . . . And he kept asking me what I was doing, drowning in a river at night. I thought that was funny . . ."

I asked her when it all happened & she told me only a week ago. It was strange, because I never heard Jann Lee say anything about this girl. But it wasn't like he'll just come out & say it. I saved a girl today! I'm a hero! No, that wouldn't happen . . .

"I'm a sucker for love. I've fallen in & out of it so many times with so many guys so easily. As a matter of fact, I've never fallen out of love. I must be pathetic, right? Maokang, here, says that I need a hobby, but I don't think that would help any. I have an eternal flame in my heart that burns for the ones I love & that's all I need."

_Love?__ How could she possibly love Jann Lee?_

I hate to admit it, but I was sorta feeling jealous. She was saved by Jann Lee, I was saved by Jann Lee . . . sort of . . . She loved Jann Lee for it, I didn't. She even gave him a drawing made by her younger brother just for him. And Jann Lee kept it. Me. I gave him nothing. I was just a pest.

"You'll end up dead soon if your 'eternal flame' doesn't go out," her brother, Maokang, said.

She gave him a look.

"She jumps into the river, thinking that guy'll come by & save her again & everything'll be alright! Say that's not insane!"

_What? She does that?_

"Shut up! . . . What I do is my business . . ."

"It's suicide!"

"Big deal! I'll do what I want!" she screamed.

Everyone was silent now. I was beginning to think she actually _was_ crazy. Jumping into rivers when you can't swim is definitely crazy! And to think that Jann Lee would appear out of nowhere & save you. She must have been obsessed with him. Hitomi had already got up from the floor & was leaning on the far wall. That was my indication to leave. She didn't like the situation & I wasn't blaming her.

"Bi, he's dead & when you're dead, you don't see the light of day again," I told her, standing up.

I have faced the truth, but she didn't.

She looked up at me, angry, "So you don't believe in the afterlife & spirits?"

I couldn't say I did & I couldn't say I didn't.

"Let's just say he won't come back."


	10. Chapter 10

Since Masked Rider Black was pissed about Hitomi leaving Leifang all alone, I decided to change it. There, problem solved.

Chapter 10

I was bored, tired, & stressed out. The whole day I had been thinking about Bi & her brother. And that drawing . . . It had to all mean _something_! Well, Bi was obviously insane. And I just hoped he didn't attract people like her often.

But anyway, I was stuck. I didn't know what I should do then. That drawing was about all I could think of. But I guess I should have been expecting that. Detectives get stuck like this all the time. Seen it happen so many times in action movies.

_What would they do?_

Well, they would question almost everybody the victim knew. And if they found something, they would follow it. But it could be dangerous.

_I don't care as long as I find something._

I was laying on the fainting couch in the study. I didn't bother turning on the lights, because the sun was setting through window. Matter of fact, I didn't notice it was getting dark. I was staring at the softball I was tossing the whole time as I thought. The study was turning a dark auburn color instead of the usual orange, because the room was a dark color. The bookcases were of redwood like the desks, lamps, & walls. And the carpet & ceiling were a burgundy color. I loved the study because of this. It provided me with a calm thinking environment. I could stay there forever, me & the homerun softball that I hit a decade ago . . .

I caught the ball in my hands & closed my eyes, taking in the peaceful surroundings. I needed it . . .

_Huang Lui!_

My eyes shot open as I remembered: the note in the refrigerator from that orphanage girl.

_The note on the dresser!_

The other note I found from one of the bouncers.

Knowing this, I had to find those people. They had to know _something_. I quickly got up & off the couch & went over to the desk for the computer.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I was on my way to the Deng Zhengnu orphanage in the Lilau Square of Macau. Macau was very beautiful. But nothing I haven't seen before. I just haven't visited it before.

_So this is where Jann Lee was raised?_

I've heard stories of Macau when I was on the hydrofoil. This man was telling me all about the city. I don't remember how I got into a conversation with him, but I did. I didn't say much either. I just listened. He had lots to say. I was holding onto the rail, staring at the water as the ripples passed by & just watching my reflection as if she were talking to me instead of that man. I could see her lips moving. She must have been very lonely or bored to talk so much. I stared at her hair as she talked. It was a mess, because of all the wind. It was flying all over her face, but she didn't seem to care as long as she said what she wants to say.

And her friend was paying someone a visit for her. It was important to her.

"My wife's been telling me in letters about the races there. She was in the front row when a car collided into another car & crashed into the stands."

"Isn't she pregnant?"

"Yes, but she's strong. To her, that accident's like falling off a bike. She said she was fine."

"Oh."

I put my head down after that. I was getting tired & if I didn't move around much, I was sure I would fall asleep in the warm, quiet surrounding.

"There's the port," the man had told me.

I had stood up & looked out into the horizon. I could already tell Macau was a prosperous place.

But back to my original story. It took me about an hour & a half before I reached Lilau Square by bus. But it was worth the ride. There were lots to see. The buildings were Portuguese style which seemed odd, but interesting. They were stone or brick with arches, pillars, & in various colors. And with the sunny shining like it was, it was very exotic. The roads were bricks or stones, too. The people there wore strange clothing. I can't really describe their strange clothing, but the clothes weren't seen often in Hong Kong. Macau was very different from my home. It seemed as if I were in another world.

When I got off the bus at my stop, my legs were wobbly. I had a bag with me, because I didn't know how long I was going to be in Macau. I had spent three hours on the hydrofoil & an hour & a half on the bus. I awoke early that day, because I knew the trip would take a long while. Now it was eleven o'clock in the morning. I didn't tell my parents about my trip. They didn't need to know what I was doing. They were already treating me with extra TLC. I didn't want to worry or upset them even more. I planned to tell them I was staying at Mei's house when I got back so they wouldn't find out where I really was.

The Deng Zhengnu orphanage was only two blocks from where I was. It took me ten minutes before I reached it. I asked people for directions on the way. They were easy to follow so I got there quicker than I thought. Meanwhile, I took some pictures! I was planning on showing Hitomi them & bragging about all the sites I saw! I took some pictures of the buildings & some of the parks! And some statues!

I was in front of the short, black gate to the orphanage. There were kids playing in the yard with some of the assistants watching them. Some of them were playing with the kids & some were talking to one another. The kids looked like they were between the ages of four & twelve. The girls wore navy blue skirts with long sleeves & navy blue stockings & shoes. The boys wore navy blue jackets, pants & shoes. And another thing I noticed was that most of the assistants were female wearing white, button-down skirts that bared long sleeves & black stockings with black shoes. I tried to imagine Jann Lee in that navy blue outfit . . . Couldn't really see it.

And behind them was the gray stone building. It must have been three stories high like most of the buildings in the Lilau Square. Some of the kids stopped what they were doing & looked at me. I gave them a smile to let them know I meant no harm, I was just curious. One of the assistants came over to me when the kids were staring a little too long & I was waving at them.

"May I help you?" she asked me.

"I've come to see Huang Lui," I responded, "Is she here?"

She stepped back sort of surprised & gave me that _look_.

_Am I asking the wrong question?_

"Huang Lui? Why might I ask do you want her?"

I guessed it was okay to tell her why. At least part of it.

"I want to ask her something. I've come a long way. From Hong Kong. It's important."

"A friend?"

"A friend of a friend, actually."

". . ."

I smiled as she tried to figure out what I meant by that.

"Well, follow me."

She opened the gate to let me come in & I followed her into the orphanage. The kids were staring at me the whole way.

-------------------

Macau is a real city in China & it's near Hong Kong & Lilau is a real square. I didn't make anything up . . . Well, I did make up the orphanage & its name. Other than that, it's all real.


End file.
